Battlefield 3 Limited Edition: Physical Warfare Pack

I agree with all the comments on the main thread. its BS.
I'd be inclined to blame EA's marketing, DICE are gonna lose alot of fans for this stunts.

its obvious they thought people wont mind this as much as the mw3 elite crap,
and could maybe sneak it in.

hopefully they come to their senses early enough and get rid of it.

ive decided not to buy mw3 cause of this type of ****,
and im now in two minds for bf3.

Bf players are very loyal and would be willing to pay for decent dlc, but forcing players to buy from a specific vender is a kick in the face, I like my games on steam, I generally don't buy physical copies anymore iif I don't have to.

As long as these weapons can eventually be unlocked (I think so as they're called "launch day exclusive weapons") I don't mind. Would be nice to get the four maps at launch, but I don't mind waiting a few months for DLC. I'll still be getting this on Steam as I like not to be tied to a disc.

Will the maps be available to people who don't preorder, i.e. will they be made available to all at a later date?

The single exclusive gun (type 88) and the day 1 access to another which I presume will become unlocked naturally in the game isn't exactly enticing if there is a levy in buying it from a certain retail outlet.

The only concern of mine is whether I'm being denied access to maps by not pre-ordering and even then I'd be reluctant to pay X more if I can get the maps for a price lower than X later down the line.

Spear wrote: »

The physical warfare pack doesn't involve maps, only exclusive or day 1 access to weapons and equipment.

In terms of extra maps there's only the four in Back to Karkand, which is free to all pre-orders, and will be available to buy 1 month after BF3's release.

This is what has me puzzled from the link in the OP

In addition to the launch day exclusive weapons, the Physical Warfare Pack also includes the Battlefield 3 Back to Karkand digital expansion pack. Players can wage all-out war on four of the most celebrated maps from Battlefield 2, including Strike at Karkand, Gulf of Oman and the Sharqi Peninsula, all stunningly re-created using the power of Frostbite™ 2. DICE’s state of the art game engine serves as the power center for Battlefield 3 to deliver superior performance in character animation, visual rendering, audio and physical destruction unlike anything ever seen before.

My concern is whether it'll work out cheaper waiting on the map pack to come out or whether to buy it preorder and pay more than I would if I waited. Will just have to wait and see what the prices are before pre-ordering.

Jim wrote: »

Surely preorder would be the obvious cheaper option? Does it cost anything extra to preorder? Thought you just put your €5 down and then got it deducted from the price of the game when you pick it up.

I was wondering if there will be any difference in bricks and mortar shops and online retailers, as I'd imagine that game/gamestop/tesco/harvey norman would defo have all the pre-order stuff included and would be relatively easy to sort out if there was an error, whilst amazon mightn't and I couldn't just pop down to them in case they messed up. I'm just going to wait till closer to release date till there is something more solid to go on.

EA have posted a FAQ to assure fans;


Q: Is the Physical Warfare Pack available in all regions, or just in the UK?
A: It will be available worldwide at select retailers. It was first announced in the UK. Exact details for other countries and retailers will be announced at a later date.

Q: Will Physical Warfare Pack imbalance the game?
A: The three exclusive items in the Physical Warfare Pack were specifically chosen not to be overpowered or imbalance or break the game in any way.

Q: Why do I want the Physical Warfare Pack?
A: Owning these items will give you a more varied arsenal, but it will not give you a significant advantage on the battlefield.

Q: Is the Back to Karkand expansion pack exclusive to pre-orders?
A: No. You can also buy it separately if you do not pre-order Battlefield 3. Back to Karkand will be available the exact same date after the launch of Battlefield 3 no matter if you pre-ordered or buy it separately.

Q: When will the Back to Karkand expansion pack be released?
A: We have not yet announced the Back to Karkand expansion pack release date.

Q: How much does the Back to Karkand Expansion pack cost?
A: We have not yet announced a price. However, it will be included in the Limited Edition at no extra charge.

Q: Do I have to choose between Back to Karkand and the Physical Warfare Pack as my pre-order bonus?
A: No. There is no way you can pre-order Battlefield 3: Limited Edition and not end up with the Back to Karkand expansion pack at no extra charge. On top of this, select retailers all over the world will carry the Physical Warfare Pack. Exact details for other countries and retailers will be announced at a later date.

Q: Why do you offer pre-order bonus items?
A: Because we believe in rewarding our core fanbase with special offers -- such as giving them the Back to Karkand expansion pack at no extra charge.

java30 wrote: »

Its the same price as the the normal version. I fail to see the problem here. If you want it just buy it. Its the same price!!!

What is the problem?

The Problem is the way the game is being marketed now and that it could be turned in to a cash cow like the COD franchise. This could be the start of EA throwing their weight around, maximizing profits, and it could end up with the gamer being charged for map packs and overall uneven gameplay for us.